The Bears will have a new punter in 2014 after terminating the contract Wednesday of veteran Adam Podlesh.
Podlesh struggled in 2013, ranking 33rd in the NFL in gross average (40.6 yards) and 29th in net average (37.9 yards) while placing 27 of 68 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. As a team, the Bears ranked last in the NFL in gross punting average.
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Adam Podlesh |
Podlesh, who had been signed through 2015, joined the Bears as a free agent in 2011 after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Jaguars. He appeared in all 48 games for the Bears over the past three years, also serving as Robbie Gould's holder on extra points and field goals.
After his release, Podlesh wrote on his Twitter account: "A sincere thank you to the Bears organization and fans for the opportunity to represent a first class franchise and city."
The Bears currently have two punters on their roster, having signed Tress Way and Drew Butler to reserve/future contracts following the 2013 season.
Way originally joined the Bears last April as an undrafted free agent from Oklahoma. He averaged 38.2 yards on six punts in the preseason before being waived Aug, 25. Butler, the son of Bears' all-time leading scorer Kevin Butler, spent the 2013 season out of the NFL after appearing in all 16 games for the Steelers in 2012, averaging 43.8 yards on 77 punts.